Pressure-fluid spray device with pressure indicator

ABSTRACT

A spray device includes a vessel containing a pressurized fluid. A valve located exteriorly can be actuated for permitting escape of fluid from the vessel. An indicating arrangement is integrated with the valve and includes a member provided with viewable markings indicating satisfactory or unsatisfactory pressure conditions in the vessel, this member being slidable between portions in which the respective markings are exposed to view, in response to changes in the pressure conditions prevailing in the vessel.

United States Patent Ishida [15] 3,656,659 [4 1 Apr. 1%, W72

[54] PRESSURE-FLUID SPRAY DEVICE WITH PRESSURE INDICATOR 3,257,035 6/1966 Jones ..222/82 3,270,919 9/1966 Frangos et al. ..222/82 3,519,172 7/1970 Bruce ..222/396 Primary Examiner-Robert B. Reeves Assistant Examiner-Frederick R. Handren Attorney-Michael S. Striker ABSTRACT A spray device includes a vessel containing a pressurized fluid. A valve located exteriorly can be actuated for permitting escape of fluid from the vessel. An indicating arrangement is integrated with the valve and includes a member provided with viewable markings indicating satisfactory or unsatisfactory pressure conditions in the vessel, this member being slidable between portions in which the respective markings are exposed to view, in response to changes in the pressure conditions prevailing in the vessel.

9 Claims, 1 Drawing Figure PATENTEDAPR 18 I972 INVENTOR r IT'$ u o Isl/194 BY fldw/ ilk-4 ATTORNEY PRESSURE-FLUID SPRAY DEVICE PRESSURE INDICATOR BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to spray devices, and more particularly to the type of spray device containing pressurized fluid in a vessel.

In such spray devices it comes often as an unpleasant surprise to users that the pressure in the vessel is no longer adequate for spraying the fluid'out. Such a discovery is most likely to take place when the device must be used in an emer-' gency (e.g., a fire extinguisher) and the problem may occur even if the device (or the charge) is brand new and has never been used.

Of course, in some known devices-mostly fire extinguishers-there is provision made for indicating the pressure status of the device. Such provision, however, is in the form of an indicating instrument which is-relatively speaking-too expensive to be used on smaller and/or less expensive devices,

conduit 13 whose outer end is secured in a push-button 14 so that the passage 17 of conduit 13 communicates with the spray nozzle 16 in button 14.

When the button 14 is depressed, the pointed end portion 15 ruptures the end wall so that the nozzle 16 is in communication with the interior of container 1. Until such time, this communication does not exist.

A tubular indicator portion 9 projects from the end wall 10 and surrounds a part of conduit 13. Its outer surface is provided with two axially spaced markings, for instance bands of different color. One such band is shown at 11. A spring 12 is or those which are to be discarded after one use rather than being refillable. t

For such devices, a simple and reliable indicator of their pressure status is not known.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is, accordingly, an object of the invention to overcome this problem.

More particularly, it is an object of the invention to provide an improved spray device which avoids the aforementioned disadvantage.

An additional object of the invention is to provide such a device which is both compact and inexpensive.

ln pursuance of these objects, and others which will become apparent hereafter, one feature of the invention resides in a spray device of the type in question, in a combination which, briefly stated, comprises a vessel containing a body of fluid under pressure, a manually actuatable spray valve communicating with the interior of the vessel and operable by a user for permitting escape of pressurized fluid fromthe vessel, and indicating means integrated into the spray valve and operative for affording a visual indication of the pressure prevailing in the vessel.

The novel features which are considered as characteristic of the invention are set forth in particular in the appended claims. The invention itself, however, both as to its construction and its method of operation, together with additional objects and advantages thereof, will be best understood from the following description of specific embodiments when read in connection with the accompanying drawing.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING The single FIGURE is a fragmentary sectional elevation showing a device according to the invention.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Reference numeral 1 identifies a partially illustratedvessel or container in which there is accommodated a body of fluid (e.g., fire-extinguishing fluid) under pressure. The upper opening of container 1 is closed by a cover 2 from which a hollow tubular projection 3 extends exteriorly of container 1. The wall of projection 3 is formed with a cut-out 4 which is fluidtightly closed by a transparent member 9.

Wall means provided on cover 2 and extending into container l defines a chamber 5 through the bottom wall 8 of which a conduit 6 projects downwardly and is connected with a fluid feed conduit 20.

Located in chamber 5 is a flexible cap member 7 which is longitudinally extensible, for instance by being of bellows shape, and may consist of natural or synthetic elastomer, of metal, or of a combination of these materials. Member 7 covers the inner or upper end of conduit 6, as shown, and its interposed between the end wall 10 and the upper inner surface of chamber 5, in the illustrated manner, axially compressing the member 7 as shown. A sealing gasket 19 seals the portion 3 fluid-tightly with reference to conduit 13. Member 7 is fast with the bottom wall of the chamber 5.

If the interior of the container 1 is at normal operating pressure-at which it is designed to function and eject a spray of fluid when button 14 is depressed-the pressure acting upon the interior of cap member 7 tendsto axially expand the same against the opposition of spring 12. This causes the marking indicating proper operating pressure to be located opposite cut-out 4 so that it may be viewed through cover 9. A user can now tell at a glance that the contents of the container 1 are in usable state. 7

On the other hand, if the pressure in container 1 decreases below the acceptable limit, the force of spring 12 overcomes the pressure acting upon member 7, axially compressing the same and causing retraction of the portion 9 until the marking indicating unsatisfactory pressure-here the color band 11- becomes visible in cut-out 4. This indicates clearly to a user that the device is no longer operative and that no reliance must be placed on its use. Clearly, with such an arrangement the device can be inspected periodically and replaced-or its pressurization renewed-when unsatisfactory conditions are found to exist. Unpleasant surprises in emergencies are thereby avoided.

Further, by its construction the indicating means is very inexpensive and, as a result of its integration with the valve, it is also compact.

It will be understood that each of the elements described above, or two or more together, may also find a useful application in other types of constructions differing from the types described above.

While the invention has been illustrated and described as embodied in a spray device, it is not intended to be limited to the details shown, since various modifications and structural changes may be made without departing in any way from the spirit of the present invention. Without further analysis, the foregoing will so fully reveal the gist of the present invention that others can, by applying current knowledge, readily adapt it for various applications without omitting features that, from the standpoint of prior art, fairly constitute essential characteristics of the generic or specific aspects of this invention, and therefore, such adaptations should and are intended to be comprehended within the meaning and range of equivalence of the following claims.

What is claimed as new and desired to be protected by Letters Patent is set forth in the appended claims:

1. A spray device for pressurized fluids, comprising a vessel containing a body of fluid under pressure; a manually actuable spray valve communicating with the interior of said vessel and comprising a push-button shaped nozzle located outside said container and operable by a user for permitting escape of pressurized fluid from said vessel; a conduit communicating with said nozzle and extending fluid-tightly into the interior of said vessel, said conduit having a pointed inner free end portion; wall means defining in said vessel a fluid-tight chamber surrounding said free end portion; and indicating means integrated into said spray valve for affording a visual indication of the pressure prevailing in said vessel, said indicating means comprising a tubular portion surrounding said conduit and end wall 10 is juxtaposed with a pointed free end portion of a provided with at least two axially spaced markings one of which indicates satisfactory pressure and the other of which indicates unsatisfactory pressure in said container, and pressure-responsive means cooperating with said tubular portion for displacing the same to a first position in which said one marking is visible when pressure in said vessel is satisfactory, and to a second position in which said other marking is visible when pressure in said vessel is unsatisfactory.

2. A spray device as defined in claim 1, said wall means including a wall opposite said free end portion and provided with an opening communicating with the interior of said vessel; and said pressure-responsive means comprising an elongated longitudinally expansible cap member covering said opening interiorly of said chamber and having an endwall facing said free end portion and an open side fluid-tightly secured to said wall, said tubular portion being carried by said endwall freely axially slidably surrounding said conduit, and spring means engaging said end wall and permanently urging the same toward said wall and thereby tending to axially compress said cap member whereby, when the pressure in said vessel is greater than the force of said spring, said cap member is axially expanded and said tubular portion slides axially of said conduit to said first position, and vice versa.

3. A spray device as defined in claim 2, said cap member being composed of elastomeric material.

4. A spray device as defined in claim 3, wherein said elastomeric material is a synthetic plastic.

5. A spray device as defined in claim 2, said cap member having the shape of a bellows with one closed end provided with said end wall.

6. A spray device as defined in claim 5, said cap member consisting of metallic material.

7. A spray device as defined in claim 2; further comprising a tubular member fluid-tightly connected with said vessel exteriorly thereof and surrounding said portion and said conduit in fluid-tight engagement with the latter axially spaced from an outer end of said tubular portion; at least one cut-out provided in said tubular member for viewing of said markings; and transparent means fluid-tightly closing said cut-out.

8. A spray device as defined in claim 2, said free end portion and said end wall being normally spaced, and said free end portion penetrating said end wall for establishing communication between said conduit and the interior of said vessel in response to depressing of said push-button.

9. A spray device as defined in claim 1, wherein said markings are different colors provided on said tubular portion. 

1. A spray device for pressurized fluids, comprising a vessel containing a body of fluid under pressure; a manually actuable spray valve communicating with the interior of said vessel and comprising a push-button shaped nozzle located outside said container and operable by a user for permitting escape of pressurized fluid from said vessel; a conduit communicating with said nozzle and extending fluid-tightly into the interior of said vessel, said conduit having a pointed inner free end portion; wall means defining in said vessel a fluid-tight chamber surrounding said free end portion; and indicating means integrated into said spray valve for affording a visual indication of the pressure prevailing in said vessel, said indicating means comprising a tubular portion surrounding said conduit and provided with at least two axially spaced markings one of which indicates satisfactory pressure and the other of which indicates unsatisfactory pressure in said container, and pressure-responsive means cooperating with said tubular portion for displacing the same to a first position in which said one marking is visible when pressure in said vessel is satisfactory, and to a second position in which said other marking is visible when pressure in said vessel is unsatisfactory.
 2. A spray device as defined in claim 1, said wall means including a wall opposite said free end portion and provided with an opening communicating with the interior of said vessel; and said pressure-responsive means comprising an elongated longitudinally expansible cap member covering said opening interiorly of said chamber and having an endwall facing said free end portion and an open side fluid-tightly secured to said wall, said tubular portion being carried by said endwall freely axially slidably surrounding said conduit, and spring means engaging said end wall and permanently urging the same toward said wall and thereby tending to axially compress said cap member whereby, when the pressure in said vessel is greater than the force of said spring, said cap member is axially expanded and said tubular portion slides axially of said conduit to said first position, and vice versa.
 3. A spray device as defined in claim 2, said cap member being composed of elastomeric material.
 4. A spray device as defined in claim 3, wherein said elastomeric material is a synthetic plastic.
 5. A spray device as defined in claim 2, said cap member having the shape of a bellows with one closed end provided with said end wall.
 6. A spray device as defined in claim 5, said cap member consisting of metallic material.
 7. A spray device as defined in claim 2; further comprising a tubular member fluid-tightly connected with said vessel exteriorly thereof and surrounding said portion and said conduit in fluid-tight engagement with the latter axially spaced from an outer end of said tubular portion; at least one cut-out provided in said tubular member for viewing of said markings; and transparent means fluid-tightly closing said cut-out.
 8. A spray device as defined in claim 2, said free end portion and said end wall being normally spaced, and said free end portion penetrating said end wall for establishing communication between said conduit and the interior of said vessel in response to depressing of said push-button.
 9. A spray device as defined in claim 1, wherein said markings are different colors provided on said tubular portion. 